Draft apparatus for boiler-furnaces.



No. 795,834. PATBNTBD AUG. 1, 1905.

I G HUGHES.

DRAFT APPARATUS-FOR BOILER FURNACES.

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N0- 795,834. A PATENI'ED AUG. 1, 1905.-

G. HUGHES. DRAFT APPARATUS FOR BOILER FURNACES.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 11. 1904.

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PATENTBD AUG. 1, 1905.

G. HUGHES. DRAFT APPARATUS FOR BOILER FURNACES.

APPLICATION TIL ED JULY 11. 1904.

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INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DRAFT APPARATUS FOR BOILER-FURNACES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed July 11, 1904. Serial No. 216,076.

To all whom, it may concern- Be it knownthatl, GEORGE HUGHES, a British subject, and a resident of Bolton, county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Draft Apparatus for Boiler-Furnaces, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is designed to provide apparatus to assist in the drawing up of the fires and the generation of steam in locomotiveboilers during the initial stages of firing and while the locomotive remains at rest in the engine-shed or other place.

The object of my invention is to overcome the difficulty of producing sufficient draft through the fire-box and tubes of locomotive boilers, which difiiculty is well known to exist during the initial stage of firing.

It consists, essentially, of a suitable hood to fit over and inclose the top of the locomotivechimney, carrying a fan which is driven by an electric or other motor, by means of which a constant current or draft is maintained through the furnace, fire-box, and tubes of the boiler. Attached to the fan-casing is an auxiliary chimney .to receive the products of combustion.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 isa side elevation of the apparatus, partly in section; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the electric motor A; Fig. 3, an elevation of the hood L, which fits the chimney of'the locomotive; Fig. 4:, a plan, partly in section, of Fig. 1.

A hood L is constructed of cast-iron or otherwise, the lower part of which removably fits closely onto and incloses the top of the chimney M of the locomotive-boiler, to which it is temporarily secured by brackets Z or otherwise. To the upper side of the hood L is affixed a casing J, inclosing a chamber B, in which a suction-fan B is mounted to rotate. An outlet or auxiliary chimney K is fitted to the side of the casing J to carry away the products of combustion which are drawn into the chamber B by the fan B. l

Above the casing J and supported by it and the casing L is mounted an electric motor A, to the lower end C of the armature-shaft of which the fan B is fixed. At the other end D of the armature-shaft there is a ball-bearing device by which the armature is suspended,

comprising two hardened-steel disks 1t and B the disk E affixed to the armature and the disk F supported upon the framing, with a ring of hardened-steel balls Gr between them to reduce the friction to a minimum. An intermediate bracket H is fitted to the casing J to provide extra bearing-surface for the armature-shaft and also to form a connection between the motor-frame and the fan-casing J.

The lower side of the fan-casing J is attached at J to the hood L, which fits the top of the locomotive-chimney M, and to this casing are also fixed two arms N and N, to which the motor A is atfixed by studs O, screwed into the motor-frame.

The magnetic field is insulated by brass washers P and brass bushes Q Q on the studs O. On thestuds O are also two links R, to which a third link or bow S is pivoted, forming a shackle by which the whole appliance can be connected with. the lifting-chain of a crane or other hoisting apparatus, so that the machine can be raised and lifted onto and off the locomotive-chimney top M.

The apparatus may be worked by theelectric motor A or by any other suitable motor to which the fan B can be connected.

In operation as soon as the fire is lighted or about to be lighted in the furnace of a locomotive-boiler the apparatus is lifted and placed on top of the chimney, and the motor A and fan B are set in motion. The fan induces a partial vacuum in the smoke-box,

thereby drawing a free supply of air through the fire-box and the products of combustion through the tubes into the chamber B and discharging the whole through the auxiliary chimney K, attached thereto.

I find that by means of this invention steam can be got up in about thirty-five to forty minutes instead of in from two to three hours, as was previously the case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. Apparatus to be applied to locomotivechimneys during the initial stages of firing to induce a draft comprising in its construction a removable hood L to fit loosely upon and inclose the top of the chimney M, a fan-casing J mounted thereon, inclosing a fan-chamber B, an auxiliary chimney K leading therefrom, and a fan B adapted to rotate in the chamber B to induce a draft through the firebox, means for removably securing the casing to the chimney M and means for operating the fan, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus to be applied to locomotivechimneys during the initial stage of firing to induce a draft comprising in its construction a removable hood L to fit over and inclose the top of the chimney M, a fan-casing J mounted thereon, inclosing a fan-chamber B, an auxiliary chimney K leading therefrom, a fan B adapted to rotate in the chamber B to induce a draft through the fire-box and tubes and a motor to drivethe fan substantially as described.

3. Apparatus to be applied to locomotiveboilers during the initial stage of firing to induce a draft comprising in its construction a removable hood L to fit over and inclose the top of the chimney M, a fancasing J mounted thereon inclosing a fan-chamber B, an auxiliary chimney K leading therefrom, a fan B adapted to rotate in the chamber B to induce a draft through the fire-box and tubes, and an electric motor A to drive the fan substantially as described.

4:. In apparatus to be applied to locomotive boilers during the initial stages of firing to induce a draft the combination of a removable hood to embrace and inclose the chimney, a fan-chamber, a fan adapted to rotate therein to draw up smoke, an auxiliary chimney connected therewith to carry away the smoke, a motor to drive the fan, arms attached to the casing to support the motor and links and shackle connected thereto by which the apparatus can be raised and lowered substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. HUGHES. l/Vitnesses:

J. OWDEN OBRIEN, B. TATHAM WOODHEAD. 

